Rain
by Quicksilver19
Summary: A LoganVeronica ficlet... pretty much a standalone...


Author's Note: Okay, this is just a one-shot ficlet... Spoilers up to 3.14 Mars, Bars... enjoy!

The first thing he sees are her shoes. Cute little sneakers peeking out the bottom of her tight cargo pants. Blue and yellow, with a European look to them. He recognizes them because they're the sneakers he brought back for her from Italy the last time he was there. He remembers because she was worried that they wouldn't fit. So worried until her feet slipped in easily and she breathed a sigh of relief then looked up at him with a sparkle and a grin. "I love them Logan."

He smiled slowly back and replied, "I love you, Cinderella." She'd blushed at the sap but slid into his lap and kissed him thanks.

The next thing he notices is the rings. Silver rings, one on her thumb, one on her index finger and one on her right ring finger. They catch the light from behind him as her fingers twitch against her thigh.

Next is her shirt. The one that she wore to the Java the Hut work party. The one with the skulls with hearts for eyes all over it. The one he teased her mercilessly for over the course of the night. It's short sleeved and white, not exactly the greatest choice for someone who is standing in the rain. But she probably didn't choose it for its seductive value or its hardiness. She probably didn't even think twice about it when she put it on this morning. She didn't know what was going to happen, the tragedy that would occur. People don't pick out clothes based on stuff like that. They prefer to live in their happy little bubbles where bad things don't happen to good people. Hell, they don't even think bad things happen to people at all, good or not. Not in Sunny California. It's too nice out, too shiny happy people, to have something bad happen here. Even Veronica, who'd had so much tragedy and pain to deal with – Lily, her mother, Duncan and the Kanes, Logan himself – she didn't think like that. Not all the time, at least.

Her face was blank. As if she didn't know how to react. Her brain hadn't settled on an emotion to feel. Shadows of sadness and regret, grief and anger flitted across it but nothing settled to stay. Her hair was plastered to her face, hanging in her eyes but she didn't move to brush it away.

"Veronica..." He reaches out but she steps back, further into the rain. As if it would have some soothing effect on her, somehow it would wash away the darkness within her head.

They stare at each other for awhile. Her eyes are blue, deep. They'd seen a lot. Too much too young. But strong too. She could handle a lot.

There's not really anything to say that they both don't already know but she says it anyway.

"He's dead, Logan. Sherriff Lamb is dead. Steve Batando hit him with a baseball bat and now he's dead." She doesn't understand the feelings going through her. She's not supposed to feel this upset about the Sherriff, not supposed to want to cry and hit something. Maybe she isn't a stone cold bitch after all.

Logan watches her shake, half from the cold rain soaking her clothes, and half from the pain of losing someone else in her life, even though Don Lamb had probably caused her more grief than anything. The rain dripped down her face, into her eyes which she was blinking rapidly. He couldn't tell which were tears and which was the rain but it didn't really matter.

He stepped out from the awning of the cabin, feeling the rain soak into his clothes. He stood watching her. Watching the pain that bled out of the corners to mix with the rain and trickle down off her to the ground. Why she felt this bad about losing Lamb, he'd never understand. But maybe that was why he loved her. She was human after all. She'd hit the breaking point and she'd come to him. It had to mean something. "Veronica, come inside. I'll get you a towel."

She looks up at the sky, as if recognizing the rain showering down on her for the first time. Her eyes blink and she frowns, looking back at him, at the house. As if she's confused about being here, about how she came to be at his cabin in Napa.

He reaches out and this time she takes his hand and allows him to lead her inside. He steers her to the couch in front of the fire, ignoring the water that drips and pools on the leather. He'll get a new one tomorrow. Going to the hallway, he pulls a few towels from the cupboard and brings them back to wrap about her slight body.

Then he moves to the kitchen, picking up his cellphone as he flicks on the kettle. Hitting the redial button, he waits patiently as it rings.

"Logan? What happened? Why'd you have to go so quickly? Are you okay? Who was at the door?" Her voice is shrill, a disturbing contrast after the broken softness of Veronica's voice.

He flinches. "Parker, I'm not going to make it back to Neptune tonight. Something's come up." Not waiting for her reply, he shuts the phone and turns back to Veronica.

The End...


End file.
